Managing Software Assets Chapter Six

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management2 Software Software: Detailed instructions that control the operation of a computer system. Program: Series of statements/instructions to the computer. Types of Software –System software: Manages the computer’s resources & provides interface between hardware, software, and end user –Application software: Accomplishes a specific task, such as word processing

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management3 System Software #1 Operating System –Allocates & assigns system resources –Schedules the use of computer resources & jobs –Monitors computer system activities Multiprogramming permits multiple programs to share one computer’s resources (multitasking on single-user computer) Multithreading executes different parts (threads) of a program simultaneously

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management4 System Software #2 Virtual storage uses hard drive as part of primary memory –Pages are called up from the hard drive into memory while parts of what was in memory are placed back on the hard drive or erased from memory (paging) Time sharing allows users to share computing resources simultaneously in slices of time Multiprocessing links two or more CPUs to work in parallel on a program

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management5 System Software #3 Programming Language Translation Software –Compiler translates source code into object code & executes the program at one time; result is a program in object code –Interpreter translates source code into object code & executes it one line at a time, allowing programmer to correct errors (bugs) as they are run; result is source code (no permanent object code) Utility programs perform a variety of standard functions, such as copying and formatting

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management6 System Software #4 Graphical User Interfaces: GUI –Windows –Icons –Mouse-clicks; click & drag Menu or command driven interfaces

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management7 PC Operating Systems Windows –XP Pro/2000/NT –XP Home/Me/98/95 –CE OS/2 by IBM Open source (Unix/Linux): stable, efficient, but hard-to-use because command driven Mac OS DOS (ancient): Still “under hood” of most Windows OS

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management8 Application Software #1 Programming Languages –Generations 1st: Machine (0’s & 1’s): binary 2nd: Assembly language: specific to h/w/ & OS; use of commands (load, sum) & variable names (TOTAL) 3rd: High-level languages: similar to English but syntax is hard for novices –FORTRAN –COBOL –BASIC –Pascal –C & C+ –C++ & other object-oriented languages transition to 4GLs

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management9 Application Software #2 4th: 4GL’s: Nonprocedural; closer to natural language –Query (SQL) –Report generator –Graphics –Application generator –Very high-level programming language

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management10 Application Software #3 Packaged software: Prewritten, precoded, pretested, commercially available PC Software Tools (office automation systems) –Word processing (MS Word) –Desktop publishing (MS Publisher) –Spreadsheet (MS Excel) –Database management (MS Access) –Presentation graphics (MS PowerPoint) –Integrated packages & Suites (MS Works vs. MS Office) – (MS Outlook) –Web browser (MS Internet Explorer) –Groupware (IBM’s LotusNotes)

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management11 Application Software #4 Enterprise S/W (Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP) –Interdependent modules of applications for the functions of an enterprise (SAP or Peoplesoft) –Integrated data flows between modules –Implement one or more modules Middleware interfaces between two different systems Enterprise application integration software supports flow of information among different business units

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management12 S/W Development Tools Object-oriented Programming –Combines data & specific procedures that operate on those data into one object –Visual programming uses a mouse to select & move “objects” to develop the program & dialogue boxes to develop most of the objects, procedures, and rules that govern the objects (e.g., Visual BASIC) –OOP Concepts Classes: superclass, class, subclass (inheritance)

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management13 Modern Programming Languages #1 Java –Platform-independent OOP language by Sun –Java applets downloaded from server to execute on client –Can handle multimedia & interactivity (Web pages) –MS developed ActiveX to compete with Java –OS independent HTML (& its successors, DHTML, etc.) –Markup language (page description); use of tags –Incorporates hypertext links & hypertext/hypermedia documents –Can use a variety of packages to develop/edit HTML

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management14 Modern Programming Languages #2 XML (eXtensible Markup Language) –Further development of HTML –Specifies how data will be used through XML tags, e.g., price, cost, etc. –Computers can automatically manipulate & interpret the data without human intervention –Need standards XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) –Further development of HTML –Permits automatic manipulation & interpretation of financial reports

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management15 Make or Buy Decisions: ASPs Application Service Providers –Provide apps via Internet or private network –Alternative to internal development –Cheaper (usually a “per seat” use) –Reduce IS staff –Guaranteed level of service

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management16 S/W Maintenance Can take more than 50% of IS staff development time Y2K Problem: Is it really over?

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management17 Selecting S/W Appropriateness User-friendliness Efficiency Cost Compatibility –Hardware –OS –Other s/w Support Vendor reputation

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management18 Case Study: Sunburst Hotels Why did Sunburst need an ERP? Why did Sunburst decide to use an ASP?

SoftwareInformation Systems for Management19 Next Class Chapter Seven: Managing Data Resources Case Study: Ford & Firestone